1st Year MPH: Clayton Carmon

For this week’s #IamEmoryEpi spotlight, we met up with Clayton Carmon!

Tell us a little bit about your academic history:

I completed my Bachelor’s Degree at Texas A&M University in Public Health and graduated in May of 2019. I started at A&M in 2008 but left in 2009 to figure out what I really wanted to do and returned to school in 2015 after spending time working for a nonprofit in Haiti.

What are your primary research interests?

I am primarily interested in emerging infectious diseases; specifically, antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections. But I am an infectious disease nerd and would enjoy research in just about any avenue therein. It’s so hard to choose only one thing to focus on!

What are you looking forward to this Spring Semester?

I am really looking forward to finding a thesis topic and continuing my REAL job at CDC. I am definitely someone who enjoys school and learning, so I am also looking forward to my courses and growing my knowledge of public health and epidemiology. I would be lying if I didn’t say that I’m looking forward to continuing to develop my relationships with my incredible peers and professors here at Rollins.

Are there any exciting projects that you are currently working on?

I am currently in the beginning stages of a project at my REAL job to analyze the trends over time of antimicrobial susceptibility for a specific pathogen of concern in healthcare settings. Since antimicrobial resistance is a significant public health challenge and concern, I am excited to see what trends exist in surveillance data and hopefully find out what changes, if any, are occurring in antimicrobial susceptibility for this pathogen.

What is your favorite part about earning your MPH at Rollins?

The incredibly diverse group of people that I get to walk this journey with. The incredibly wide-ranging backgrounds of my fellow students are inspiring and motivating. The education I receive from my peers is just as important and valuable as the education I receive in my classes.

What advice do you have for people who may be interested in getting their MPH?

I would say that it is essential to know where you want to end up in life and what you can gain and learn by getting an MPH. I took several years to really learn about myself and my goals. That time away from school, experiencing the real world, was invaluable in shaping the path I eventually decided to take. Don’t ever feel like you have to follow a predetermined or societally acceptable path to achieve your goals, take some time to get to know yourself before committing to something.

What books are you currently reading, or what podcasts are you currently listening to?

At the moment, I am not reading anything. Still, the last book I did read was called “The American Plague: The Untold Story of Yellow Fever, the Epidemic That Shaped Our History,” and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves history and infectious diseases.

What are three fun facts that you want people to know about you?

1. I am a huge history nerd, especially WWII history; in fact, I almost pursued a degree in history.
2. I am a first-generation Graduate student, but I am a second-generation Aggie (what we who went to A&M are called), needless to say to anyone who has seen me on campus, I am a diehard A&M fan.
3. I am a huge country music fan, play me some George Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, George Strait, Reba (the list goes on), and I’m a happy camper, really any classic country is my jam.